Gin Brined Chicken or Turkey

5 from 1 vote

Chicken that tastes of gin? Yes, Christmas wishes do come true! This amazing gin brine makes chicken unbelievably juicy, tender and flavoursome. Once you’ve tasted this, you will never want to eat normal chicken again! (Serves 4-6, depending on appetite.)

Course Main Course

Cuisine British

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings

Calories 301kcal

Author Eb Gargano

Ingredients

Brining

1 small chicken roughly 1.5kg / 3¼lb
2800 ml water
200 ml gin
300 g salt
1 lemon quartered
2 limes halved
A few sprigs of thyme
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon peppercorns / or a few twists of black pepper
1 teaspoon juniper berries

Roasting

Olive oil
Black Pepper
A few sprigs of thyme

To serve

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Brining

Mix together the water, gin and salt in a large container and stir until the salt has dissolved.
Add the chicken and ensure it is completely submerged, add more water if not.
Squeeze in the juice of the lemons and limes and then add them into the water around the chicken. Add all the other ingredients. Store for 24 hours. (48 hours for a turkey) in the fridge or a similarly cold place.

Roasting

Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F.
Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Place in a roasting tray. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the herbs, limes and lemons from the brine.
Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and scatter over some black pepper and thyme. Rub into the skin of the chicken.
Roast the chicken for 60 minutes, basting occasionally.
Serve with roast potatoes and vegetables and a lovely chilled glass of Riesling.

Notes

For turkey, increase the quantities of water and salt proportionately (and gin if you don’t mind the expense!) and leave in the brine for 48 hours, then roast according to my Easy Peasy Christmas Turkey recipe.
Suitable for freezing.
Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Nutrition